


Samhain

by mesmisi



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Alternate Universe - Witchcraft, Bottom Tyler, Fluff, M/M, Top Josh, Witchcraft, a lot of forest descriptions, a sweet beautiful dog, im not sure if im writing smut yet, soft tyler, witch!Tyler
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-11
Updated: 2018-02-12
Packaged: 2019-03-16 17:03:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13640604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mesmisi/pseuds/mesmisi
Summary: on samhain, also known as halloween, the veil between worlds is at its thinnest. this allows for easier communication with spirits and improved divination. samhain also celebrates the last harvest of the year and the beginning of the "darker half" of the calendar. some people call it the witch's new year.-wren





	1. pre

tyler joseph was no match for the crowded streets, or any crowded place for that matter. the wind whipped through his thick sweater, through his bones, to his core.

it only made him walk faster

down the sidewalk, left turn, right, right, down the gravel path, left turn into the woods, down the path

engrained into his brain, countless times before, he made his way to the cottage he calls home. 

a mist of frigid rain hung around his head, encircling it like a halo.

of course, he didn't feel heavenly warmth or any shit like that.

cold. he felt cold. and a bit wet too, as his overcoat was currently soaked from the rain. he really didn't mind it though, rain was nice to him.

it never judged him, it was clean, it was calming and soft.

in fact, he loved the rain. every time the soft pitter patter was present (which was frequent from the northwestern climate he lived in) an obvious shift in mindset could be set on the fragile boy.

not that many cared to notice, though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uh hi i'm wren i like not focusing on my priorities and also a bit of witchcraft sprinkled in
> 
> i'm really trying to be more accurate with this book, i'm fairly new to the topic, so i'm learning a lot and yet i know so little, so if any one of my lovely readers notices a flaw or inaccuracy in my work related to witchcraft, please know that it was most definitely not on purpose and please please please don't hesitate to correct me.
> 
> i'm not sure yet if tyler will have a wiccan/pagan belief system, or if what he does is purely secular, i'm pretty sure i don't want to tie him to christianity for right now, though.
> 
> alrighty, that's about it! i'm real excited for this and it's most likely going to be a casual thing (honestly all of my books are at this point) but yeah


	2. pre pt.2

hey hey hey just wanted to fill y'all in on a bit of the terms and practices and whatnot i will be using in this that you may not be familiar with:

foreword: i am an absolute amateur with practicing witchcraft (i.e. a baby witch), and have so much i still should learn it's not even funny, so i can answer a few questions but may have to ask a few higher-ups for help with answering, but even if you are just the slightest bit confused, please don't hesitate to ask questions!!

also, these are just the basics (retrieved from our friends on the internet), so i plan on also including a bit of a key at the beginning of chapters if i introduce a newer concept.

ok here we go:

some vocab to start:

wicca:

a form of modern paganism, especially a tradition founded in england in the mid 20th century and claiming its origins in pre-christian religions.

coven:

group of Wiccans who have decided to work together. may be large or small, formal or informal, hierarchical or not, and so on. often gathers once a month at about the full moon for esbats and eight times a year for sabbats.

solitary:

someone who primarily practices alone. many wiccans today are eclectic solitaries who may attend open rituals at sabbats.

eclectic:

usually means not adhering to any established tradition or set of practices, creating one's own path and potentially drawing on a wide range of sources, mixing and matching as one sees fit.

pentacle:

often used interchangeably with pentagram. technically and historically, the term means something with a symbol (often a pentagram) worked on it, sometimes used as a plate or paten in wiccan ritual.

"so mote it be":

"mote" is middle english for "shall" or "must" here. used as a statement of affirmation, much like "amen."

FAQs: (concerning wiccan influenced witchcraft)

Q: are you a "good" witch or a "bad" witch?

A: when you ask if someone is a "good" witch or a "bad" witch, it is the same as asking someone if they are a "good" presbyterian or a "bad" presbyterian. wiccans adhere to the motto, "an it harm none, do as ye will." witches, druids and other pagan belief systems and religions have their own ethical standards. there are good and bad people in every society and in every religion. when a person breaks the laws of society or the tenets of their religion, they are called to account for their actions. to judge a person as either "good" or "bad" based upon nothing more than their religious preference alone has a label, too. it is called bigotry.

 

Q: do you worship satan?

A: satan is a part of the christian and muslim religions. since pagans are neither christian nor muslim, satan is not part of wiccan deity structure at all.

the belief is actually that each and every human being is completely responsible for his or her own actions. evil is a choice, albeit a bad one, that a human might make, not an embodied entity to blame our actions upon.

if an individual chooses to do evil, most pagans believe they will be punished via the laws of karma or as a result of "cause and effect.". In other words, "what goes around usually comes around."

 

Q: so why do you use that "satanic" symbol?

A: the pentagram, or five pointed star, is not automatically "satanic".

pythagoras used it as a symbol of health and his followers wore them in order to recognize one another. In medieval times, some christian knights used the pentagram as their symbol.

to modern wiccans the pentagram means many things; the five points correspond to the elements air, earth, fire and water with the top point corresponding to "spirit". the pentagram in a circle may also represent a human with their legs and arms outstretched, surrounded by universal wisdom or the "goddess" - humankind at one with the environment.

many witches and other pagan practitioners do not wear the pentacle at all, but have other symbols of special meaning to them.

satanists turn the symbol upside-down, which puts the elements of fire and earth at the top (fire symbolizes willpower and passion and earth, prosperity and earthly goods) and spirit, spirituality, at the bottom.

satanists also turn the cross upside-down. this, in itself, does not make the cross or pentagram satanic symbol. to some members of wiccan traditions, the reversed pentagram is considered highly positive and has no connection to satanism. a symbol is simply an image or mark in itself. it is the mind and the beliefs of the beholder which attribute to it a particular meaning.

 

Q: do you do blood sacrifices?

A: NO! the nature of sacrifice is to give up something of one's own in order to gain something more important. wiccans believe in the sanctity of all life.

most pagans believe that animals are part of the same natural cycle of life as humans are. witches have long been associated with animal companions known as "familiars."

 

Q: are witchcraft or wicca cults?

A: a cult by definition is a group of people who blindly follow one leader. as witches, wiccans and pagans tend to be free-thinkers, there is no one person that we consider to be the leader. thus we cannot be called a cult.

 

Q: If witches don't have a bible, what do they use?

A: most modern witches keep a book of shadows, (BOS) or grimoire, which is more like an individuals workbook, journal, or diary, meaningful to the person who keeps it. This book contains rituals, discoveries, spells, poetry, herb lore, etc. covens almost always keep a similar group book.

** i'm not exactly sure how the name "book of shadows" came to be, but i would assume that this also ties into the burning times when the church set out to eliminate all texts along with the followers of the old ways (like wicca). the writings that existed were more than likely were taken into the shadows and hidden with the survivors.

 

wiccan rede: "an it harm none, do as ye will."

meaning: "if an action does not cause harm, it's up to you to decide if you want to do it." commonly quoted as the ethical standard of wicca; encourages individuals to think about the consequences of their actions, make choices, and take responsibility. ("harm" includes harm to oneself)

okey dokey


	3. a-haon

at this point, the process required to create a sachet for one of his far too few clients (these days at least) was completely habitual.

he allowed his body to become completely submersed in his work, the faint background noise of the record playing across the room, the  slightly musky smell of the herb bundles he had drying in his windowsill (and frankly, anywhere he could fit them in to small cottage)

it was all therapeutic, he had concluded.

his work was very important, yes, but not the type to be done at a desk or counter. he did his best job in the middle of the faded wood floor, a blessed ring of salt or chalk surrounding him.

he carefully placed 5 of his favorite and most frequently used plain white candles within the borders of the circles, forming the familiar shape of a pentagram to center the energy currently stagnant in the air into his current blessing. to facilitate this he spent the following few minutes trying to calm and streamline his focus onto the assorted herbs, crystals, and runes and the needle, thread and scrap of black fabric in the middle of the altar.

after he felt like he was centered enough to continue, he picked up the scrap, needle and thread and quickly sewed a small sachet of sorts and kept the top open. then, he began to place dried leaves of basil, bay, clove, lavender, rosemary, and sage into the pouch whilst blessing each with the strongest protective energy and intention he could muster. he then followed suit with a chip of amethyst, a soft scrap of his client's favorite childhood blanket, and a finely carved pentacle about the size of a dime into it as well, imagining a string protective purple light enveloping and filling each.

he quickly sewed up the open end tightly and held it near one of the flames to burn the remaining bad energy and further purify the bag. while he watched the bag carefully to make sure it didn't catch on fire he murmured a chant to further prove his intentions;

_may whoever keeps this charm_   
_be protected from every harm_   
_cast off all the bane and ill_   
_so mote it be, as is my will_

after all was done and the bag was deemed pure and strong, he blew out the candles, closed the circle, and with that, the rite was ended.

as he returned back into a more conscious state, he realized the music was no longer playing as the record had finished, and the only sound was the soft snores and the occasional whine from his malamute mix and personal best friend ever, winnie. tyler guessed that he had fallen asleep during the rite at some point, so he placed a soft blanket over him.

he cleaned up as quietly as possible then, as to not disturb his resting familiar.

after he finished tidying up his small home, which didn't take long at all because he was a naturally neat person in the first place, he sat down on his bed and read through the notes he had made on the client he made the sachet for.

**_joshua d. (never revealed age)_ **   
**_\- gemini?_ **   
**_seems very anxious from the way he entered the house - yet polite as he made sure to take his shoes and coat off and place them neatly by the doorway, and thank me profusely for having him during such horrible weather._ **   
**-** **_a good energy about him_ **   
**-** **_a very tired yet truthful face_ **   
**-** **_asked for a simple protective sachet_ **   
****** **_follow up meeting with him on the 14th**_ **

tyler glanced at his phone and saw that he would be coming the next evening.

_i'm going to make him as comfortable as possible when he comes tomorrow, what if i baked? that smell always calms me down, even if it goes to the neighbors...i better go to the shops tomorrow so i can get some more flower and eggs, i think i might be out..._

he quickly jotted down a small grocery list for the next day adding on flowers and coffee grounds to it.

then, as tyler was never one to stay up late if he didn't have to, he managed to pick up winnie (it may or may not have taken him a few tries and he might have had to drag the rug he was sleeping on closer to his bed so he could haul the giant teddy bear dog on to his low lying bed, but if you asked him he would say it was the first try) and the two drifted off into a deep comfortable sleep with the warm smell of incense burnt earlier that day enveloping them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heyo i hate wattpad so for the time being, we're taking a breather and here i am


	4. a-dó

tyler woke up with the sound of winnie whining and scratching at the door to be let out for his morning bathroom adventure. (he had no fence and basically lived in the middle of the woods, but winnie never liked to stray far from tyler)

he managed to drag himself out of his warm cocoon of a bed with a loud groan, though and wrapped himself in a blanket as he walked over to the door to let his friend out.

the morning was a peaceful one, just how he liked. with the soft pitter patter of rain slightly muffled by the lush green canopy surrounding him, and the thick streams of fog flowing lazily around tree trunks and over the soft floor, tyler felt completely at ease with himself, and let out a happy sigh.

he then retreated back into his house to get ready for the day and of course make the morning coffee and winnie's breakfast.

teeth were lazily brushed, warm simple clothes were picked out for the day, and then tyler began the duo's breakfast routine.

as if on cue, winnie was already patiently waiting by the door for tyler to let him in by the time he was done with his morning toiletries and when led back inside, stayed by the boy's side while he began their breakfast.

he began with firing up the coffee maker and then got to the real fun chopping up some raw chicken liver, beef, some fish, and picking out two lamb ribs for his friend's breakfast, and when he had finished that and added those to the bowl, he cracked an egg over the mixture and dropped the shell in it for good measure.   
of course tyler was vegetarian personally, but he decided that if he had the option to eat healthy, so would his best friend, even though their nutritional needs didn't line up.

"win, come here baby!" he cooed to the currently napping dog across the room, "break is ready!"

that got his attention as he stumbled to his feet and trotted over to the bowl and immediately began to dig in.

god, tyler loved his dog, and god, winnie loved his boy.

—————————

when breakfast was finished, cutlery had been washed, tyler and winnie donned their matching raincoats, tyler his old boots, and winnie working dog harness, they finally set out for their errands of the day.

they jumped into the boy's old jeep, and went off through the woods.

while tyler was driving down the path, he decided to turn on the radio and see what the weather had planned for them for the next few days.

"...severe storms are scheduled to come in tonight coming up from the southern west coast, the national weather service urges people to stay indoors and cover and glass windows and doors, as there is major wind damage scheduled to accompany it, " 

the weather woman warned, tyler turned it up louder so he could catch all of the information.

" winds up to 50 miles per hour are also to be expected, along with golf ball sized hail, and an unusually high amount of lightning is to be expected as well. people are recommended to charge all of their appliances beforehand, and have a storm safety kit on hand in case power goes off. this storm is gonna be a wi-" 

tyler shut that off, and switched the channel to one playing soft rock music, as he was panicking slightly from the news of the storm. 

as he was trained to deal with situations like this, winnie, gently laid his head in the crook of tyler's arm, which was on the radio dial, and snuggled into it and his chest with a soft whine.

luckily, the furry cuddles were able to calm him down enough to the point where he could pull back into the road and safely drive again. he gave a loud sigh of thought and then turned to his companion. 

"looks like we're gonna have to make the market trip faster than i thought, and text that client to get over here sooner, hopefully, i can get him in and out before the storm starts." 

they hurried to the market to get what they came for.

when tyler stepped into the small general store on the edge of the small market center, he was hit with the lovely smell of freshly baking bread, and was instantly warmed up and comforted by the atmosphere.

"is that my sweet tyler?" a cinnamon bun voice called from the back of the store,

"hello, mama black!" he called back with a chuckle. he gave a soft command for winnie to speak and he let out a small bark to greet mrs. black as well.

"well hello to you too handsome!" she laughed, hurrying out from behind the counter to hug the boy and slip winnie a piece of scrap bread.

" what are you two doing out right now? you know there's a big storm coming in tonight, and i don't want you driving back in it!" she worried 

"we just needed to pick up a few things we were low on, i'm having a guest over tonight and i thought i should bake, but i'm all out of eggs and flour! we were going to be quick, don't worry." he assured her with a soft smile.

mrs. black had taken on the role of tyler's on-site mother, as he hadn't talked to the rest of his family for a few years. their relationship hadn't ended badly, he was just never really close with them, and once he had graduated college with full financial independence, they just kind of drifted apart.

 

after getting all he needed for the week plus a few extra treats for winnie, convincing (forcing) mrs. black to allow him to pay for his groceries, and giving her another big hug, the duo hopped in their car and made their way back into the woods tyler called home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey pals, you may ask why it took so long for me to come up with another chapter,
> 
> and i will answer with i'm not that good of a writer and it takes me a lot of time to come up with half decent things   
> i'm still enjoying this, it gives me calm feelings to write.
> 
> i hope you know this is basically one of my fantasies of how i wish my life was but hey, enjoy the joshler interpretation of it (there isn't even any yet, but i plan on introducing them next chapter hahahah sorry i take so long ahahaha)  
> have a nice night 
> 
> y'all got any questions for me?  
> i'm down to answer anything 
> 
> \- wren


End file.
